There was so much going on for me in the remarkable year of 1963 that I had almost forgotten the record Anne and Webster made in August of that year. Not only did they sing on the record, but my piano teacher, Sylvia Sullivan conducted the Nazareth House Children’s Choir, where she taught music. Anne and Webster’s neighbour, Gwen Murray, who lived across the road from them in Buckingham Avenue, Craighall Park arranged for the recording to be made. Her son Michaael and his friend Peter Morrison took part in the recording and Heinz Alexander, the well-known organist and pianist played the piano accompaniment.
The reason why I suddenly remembered the recording today was that Google pointed it out to me! I hadn’t heard it for a while and was actually quite impressed to hear it today. Webster was sixty-one at the time and Anne was fifty-three. Anne does not sound nearly as at ease as Webster does. One might have imagined that doing something like this might have been beneath them but he certainly entered into the spirit of it and seemed to enjoy doing it just as the children enjoyed working with him.
He was impressed with Sylvia Sullivan’s conducting and she was flattered that he singled her out to keep the music flowing at a good pace. He also told her that he was delighted to have me as his studio accompanist when Anne wasn’t available.
The Nazareth House children were allowed to stay up later than usual one Saturday night so that they could listen to the programme he was presenting on the English Service of the SABC. I wonder whether any of them remember making this recording sixty-one years ago. Even they are probably in their seventies by now.
You can hear a sample of the recording here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-P1r8ZkrrVEUmf3lwVQtNhoKf1oD_uNY/view?usp=drive_link
Jean Collen 28 April 2024.
WEBSTER BOOTH-ANNE ZIEGLER 